The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-10-21

VI ~ " libtA bObbCAh . lAl lit CAidlIOlUC
was a young woman of the style called
''dashing," with big black eyes and a loud
voice. Young Jerry hated her, and OPP
posed his parents to the limit of his feeble
will; then he gave in.
Just when they had wrung a promise
from him to propose to Charlotte, he fell
i'll Of a kind Of intermittent fever, and then
it was they called in Bently. Though
Jerry was i'll, he was not so bad as to be
confined to the house altogether, some
times he had to stop in and lie on the sofa,
but sometimes he was strong enough to
go out and walk about. Bently said he
was not to be worried or contradicted at
all, bat must be allowed to do just what
he liked, and to amuse himself as much as
possible.
One day, my husband told me that Mr..
and Mrs. Winterbottom were going to call
on me. | suppose | made rather a face,
for he said, a little sharply:
"Now do be careful what you say and
how you behave, they are the best patients
| have; and please be amiable and concilia-
tory even if they do ~patronize a little"
| was as anxious to secure their good
will as he was, for | knew what an influ-
entail connection theirs was; so deter
mined when they came TO put on my pref
test manners.
The day after the announcement of their
anproaobinr visit woe p,ado uar Dorrinr
wet, SO wet that nobody would have
thought of going out. Lizzie Dacres just
ran in after lunch, and we sat gossipping
over the fire till about three, then I sud
denly said:
'No one will call to-day. l shall wash
my hair"
| have al inconvenient amount of hair,
and it a very serious affair to wash it.
Well, | was sitting on the edge of the
fender, in an old red rag of a dressing
gown, with all my tresses in wet r~at-tails
about my shoulders, and a towel in my
hand, when there came q tremendous ring
at the front-door bell.
We were in the dlning-room, | must tell
you, and there was no fire in the drawing
room.
The peal had hardly died away, when
we heard heavy footsteps. and Sarah's
voice in sprightly tones of welcome, say
ing:
'Oh, yes mum, She's at home!'
I gave one glance of agony at Lizzie,
and then sprang wildly into a large cup
board where we kept jam and newspapers,
and drew the door to after me.
In this cupboard was another door open
ing into the surgery, and my idea had
been to escape through it and up the back
stairs, then, after a few minutes spent on a
hurried toilet, I could descend gracefully
attired. During these few minutes Lizzie
would entertain the visitors.
Imagine my horror when | found the
door of exit locked, while, oh! dismal
truth! the visitors were none other than
the Jerry Winterbottoms, before whom [
could not appear in my eccentric costume.
Lizzie, who had OWNED my plan of es-
cape, but who was, of course, ignorant of
it's frustation. began to converse in the
most elegant manner, and confirmed
Sarah's statement that was at home, add
ing that | would be down in a moment,
having just been called to the nursery!
This was all very we'll for five, for ten,
even for fifteen minutes; but at last the
conversation, which had been getting
more and more jerky and disconnected,
stopped altogether, and a painful silence
fell.
To add to the agony of my position, a
deadly fear was seizing hold of me tina
Bently would come into the surgery, and
would, all unconsciously, open the
door of com n%unication, and send me fly
ing as from a catapult, wet hair, red dress
ing gown, towel and all, into the startled
midst of the W~interbottoms!
1t was not till afterward that | discov-
cred that this fear, at least, was ground
less; the cupboard door shut with a spring,
and could only be opened from the out
side.
10y anu oy tuC uioVi''5hs
spoke again.
Il do not think the maid can have told
Mrs. Ellis you were here. If you will ex-
cuse me, I will go and see.'
Then | heard her leave the room, and
Mrs. Jerry say to Mr.. Jerry.
elbow very extraordinary! Do you
think anything has happened? Do you
think she has gone mad? have heard
from one or two people that she is a little
queer"
| had to bite my tongue to prevent my
self from screaming out "Who?"-at the
idea of people being so horrid as to say
was ''queer," just because l kept myself
to myself, as our old nurse used to say.
"Such conduct is more than queer, it
is impudent," answered her hush and in
his most pompous tone,; but if this rude
ness is intentional I shall know how to
punish it,"
Then | heard hurr led footsteps passing
to and fro overhead; they were evidently
seeking met was too terrible, | dared
not move or make a sound, and l was so
unhappy
Presently Lizzie came back, and said, in
a troubled voice:
81 am very sorry. l am afraid there
- l.. .sG.11 Tb1 ar-or mis-